For Guatemala’s indigenous population, poverty and discrimination have led to staggering burdens of chronic diseases, such as child malnutrition and adult diabetes and cancer. There are no quick fixes for these socially determined illnesses, but Wuqu' Kawoq - Maya Health Alliance leverages a unique blend of world class medical expertise, local cultural competence, local capacity building and partnership with indigenous communities. We are closing the health care gap and transforming communities.

We serve the indigenous Maya population of Guatemala, which is 50% of the population of 15 million. The Maya are rural and marginalized. According to the WHO, rates of chronic child malnutrition are among the highest in the world. Adult illness is also rampant; cervical cancer, for example, is the most frequent cause of death in indigenous women after childbirth. We counter these disparities by building high quality chronic illness programs that use Mayan languages and value Mayan culture. We are explicitly committed to a high level of cultural and linguistic competence. We recognize that solving the complex health problems of indigenous populations requires forming strong alliances with intended beneficiaries and patients.

We provide comprehensive health care services for the indigenous population in Guatemala in the areas of maternal health, detection and treatment of chronic childhood malnutrition, primary care, and the management of adult diabetes and cardiovascular disease. One of our most exciting clinical programs is our referral program, which accepts complex patients with challenging conditions (such as individuals with advanced cancer) from other organizations and helps with their case management and treatment plans. We are creating a health safety net for the poorest individuals in the country, providing life, saving and life, enhancing services to both adults and children with serious illnesses. We currently serve primary health patients in 10 communities in the departments of Chimaltenango, Suchitepequez, Solola, and Sacatepequez. We serve referral patients from all over Guatemala.

We are also committed to training the next generation of global health practitioners. We provide long- and short term mentorship and practical, field based experience to numerous anthropologists, physicians, public health practitioners, global development trainees and entrepreneurs-in-training from Guatemala and world-wide.

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